Cebu Queen City files protest against Pachanga FC

This appears in interaksyon.com

Cebu Queen City files complaint against Pachanga FC

by rick olivares

The opening weekend of the UFL Cup featured a one-sided match turned thriller (Stallions’ 3-2 win over Global FC) and a rout (Victory Liner-Diliman FC’s 7-0 thrashing of the ABC Stars). And one complaint.

Cebu Queen City United filed a protest against supposed-Sunday foe Pachanga FC for not showing up for their match at the Alabang Country Club.

The match was originally scheduled at 1pm at the University of Makati but at 7am Sunday October 9, 2011, UFL Technical Director Richard Gannaban sent a text message blast to four teams (Pachanga FC, Cebu Queen City United, Loyola Meralco Sparks FC, and Loyola Agila FC) that were scheduled to play at the venue: “TOP URGENT: please be advised that all matches at UMak are OFFICIALLY POSTPONED. Field is unplayable. Kindly confirm receipt.” Interaksyon.com verified the text message of Gannaban to have been sent at 7:31am.

Manila was beset by heavy rains last Sunday prompting the postponement of matches.

Around 11am, Gannaban sent a second text message that read: “Jo (Rodriguez, Pachanga Team Manager), we will move your game to Alabang Country Club today because Cebu is already here. Really need your cooperation. What is the best time for you? 1, 2, or 3pm?”

Said Rodriguez, “We declined to play anymore because after the initial message, the team’s mindset and focus was already not on the game. And furthermore, we were not the only team not to play last Sunday.”

Added Pachanga head coach Norman Fegidero Jr. “At the time we received the text about the possible resumption of the game, it was too late. It was around 11 o’clock. We were already at Xavier (high school in San Juan) practicing in a small area of the field. And even there the weather conditions made the field also unplayable. The UFL asked us if we’d like to even play a friendly match with Cebu which we declined. Bakit namin ipapakita yung laro namin? At halos lahat naman ng team hindi naglaro. Sana the UFL can find a solution to this that is fair for all.”

The match between Victory Liner-Diliman FC and ABC Stars scheduled at the Alabang Country Club at 11am Sunday was the only one to push through. Interestingly, the 3pm match between Team Socceroo FC and Internacionale FC also at Alabang Country Club did not push through with the weather.

The Sun Star Cebu quoted from Queen City United team manager Ricky Dakay’s letter to the UFL Technical Committee, “In reply to our appeal, the Committee decided to re-schedule our game to be held in another venue at the Alabang Country Club and we  were also informed that Pachanga FC was also informed of the rescheduling.”

Dakay added In their letter, Queen City said that excuse was “flimsy since their players were present during the parade and that the team’s equipment was in Umak,” the original venue of the game.

Football Alliance Chairman Santi Araneta promised a decision by the day’s end.

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Discussed this with UFL officials and I amended the title from "protest" to "complaint." Sorry for the inconvenience.